📅 Implementation: 28 Apr 2025 – 27 Apr 2027 (24 months)
💶 Total Budget: €2,758,648.53 | ERDF Contribution: €1,919,921.56
🤝 Partners:3 organisations
🎯 Type: Standard project | Culture & Tourism | RS04.6

Summary

CET – Catholic Event Tourism brings together the Catholic dioceses of Satu Mare (RO) and Nyíregyháza (HU) to promote religious and cultural tourism across borders.

The project revitalises three sacred buildings and turns them into modern cultural and pilgrimage attractions, opening new opportunities for both visitors and local communities.

By combining renovation works, digital innovation, and cultural events, the project highlights the shared spiritual and architectural heritage of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Satu Mare counties, a religiously diverse region.

The initiative encourages understanding between different faiths and communities, helping people discover not only the beauty of Catholic heritage but also the richness of interfaith coexistence in the area.

Project Aim

To enhance cross-border cultural and religious tourism by restoring key Catholic heritage sites, using innovative presentation tools, and creating shared cultural experiences that strengthen community ties and local tourism potential.

Objectives

✅ Renovate and revitalise sacred heritage buildings to attract visitors
✅ Develop new cross-border tourist products that link the three restored sites.
✅ Promote interreligious understanding and cultural diversity
✅ Increase the visibility of Catholic heritage through digital technologies
✅ Strengthen cooperation between dioceses and local communities

Key Activities & Results

🔹 Restoration of Historic Churches –  St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church (Beltiug, RO) and St. Eleanor Roman Catholic Church (Tiszavasvári, HU)
🔹 Creation of a Religious Tourism Centre – Establishment of a new visitor hub in Nyíregyháza, dedicated to exploring Catholic heritage.
🔹 Digital Innovations: 
             • Virtual tours of church interiors in Beltiug
             • VR experiences in the Nyíregyháza Religious Tourism Centre
             • Modern sound and projection systems installed at all sites
🔹 Cultural Events – Organisation of joint and local tourism events celebrating Catholic heritage.
🔹 Tourism Strategy & Promotion – Development of a joint tourism strategy and a dedicated website to increase visibility.
🔹 Community Engagement – Active participation of local choirs, congregations, and cultural groups in project activities.

Partnership

Lead Partner: Roman Catholic Episcopate of Satu Mare (RO)
Project Partners: Diocese of Nyíregyháza (HU) and  Diocese of Debrecen–Nyíregyháza (HU)

By restoring churches, creating innovative tourism tools, and organising shared cultural events, CET strengthens both faith and friendship across borders. The project breathes new life into historic sites and builds a sustainable model for religious and cultural tourism in the Romania–Hungary region.

For more details, consult the project fact sheet: EN

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